1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cup holders and, more particularly, to a cup holder which is stored within vehicle structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, many automotive vehicle manufactures provide the interior of each vehicle with a cup holder for supporting a beverage container. The cup holder provides a place to secure a beverage container during vehicle operation. Typically, cup holders are either stationary platforms mounted horizontally with respect to the vehicle in open view, or they are retractable or hidden from view and pulled out when needed. Previously, cup holders have been coupled with ash trays, glove compartment doors, or simply formed as cylindrical cavities in a vehicle console.
One problem with retractable and hidden cup holders is that the cup holder must have a substantially horizontal cup platform or base in order to prevent spillage. To accomplish this, the cup holder must be mounted horizontally within the vehicle structure. Mounting the cup holder in this manner requires a greater use of interior space and limits the location on a vehicle at which the cup holder may be mounted. Additionally, retractable cup holders are usually manually operated; i.e., the vehicle operator must physically grasp and pull open the cup holder.
Since space is at a premium on an automotive vehicle, and today's automotive vehicles have many unique inclined, angular or curved surfaces, there is a need in the art to have a cup holder which may be mounted within vehicle structure at a position other than horizontal and ejected outward into the vehicle compartment into a horizontal position. When not in use, the cup holder may be closed by pushing the cup holder back into the vehicle structure, thereby providing a cup holder having both functional and aesthetic features.